urprising manner
as that which followed between Friday and the bear, which gave us all,
though at first we were surprised and afraid for him, the greatest
diversion imaginable. As the bear is a heavy, clumsy creature, and does
not gallop as the wolf does, who is swift and light, so he has two
particular qualities, which generally are the rule of his actions; first,
as to men, who are not his proper prey (he does not usually attempt them,
except they first attack him, unless he be excessively hungry, which it
is probable might now be the case, the ground being covered with snow),
if you do not meddle with him, he will not meddle with you; but then you
must take care to be very civil to him, and give him the road, for he is
a very nice gentleman; he will not go a step out of his way for a prince;
nay, if you are really afraid, your best way is to look another way and
keep going on; for sometimes if you stop, and stand still, and look
steadfastly at him, he takes it for an affront; but if you throw or toss
anything at him, though it were but a bit of stick as big as your finger,
he thinks himself abused, and sets all other business aside to pursue his
revenge, and will have satisfaction in point of honour--that is his first
quality: the next is, if he be once affronted, he will never leave you,
night or day, till he has his revenge, but follows at a good round rate
till he overtakes you.

My man Friday had delivered our guide, and when we came up to him he was
helping him off his horse, for the man was both hurt and frightened, when
on a sudden we espied the bear come out of the wood; and a monstrous one
it was, the biggest by far that ever I saw. We were all a little
surprised when we saw him; but when Friday saw him, it was easy to see
joy and courage in the fellow's countenance. "O! O! O!" says Friday,
three times, pointing to him; "O master, you give me te leave, me shakee
te hand with him; me makee you good laugh."

I was surprised to see the fellow so well pleased. "You fool," says I,
"he will eat you up."--"Eatee me up! eatee me up!" says Friday, twice
over again; "me eatee him up; me makee you good laugh; you all stay here,
me show you good laugh." So down he sits, and gets off his boots in a
moment, and puts on a pair of pumps (as we call the flat shoes they wear,
and which he had in his pocket), gives my other servant his horse, and
with his gun away he flew, swift like the wind.

The bear was walking soft